When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (1)

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Figuring out what to make for dinner night after night—that won't take ages in the kitchen—is a never-ending problem. One of the best solutions? Get yourself an Instant Pot and take full advantage of it. Not only is the one-pot-wonder a breeze to cook with and clean, but the multi-cook functions make it versatile enough that you can make practically anything with it. It can sear food and pressure cook, so you get lots of flavor and a super-fast cook time. But it can also make practically any slow cooker recipe, so you can prep food in the morning, and come dinner have a perfectly made meal waiting for you. (One caveat: To make the most of your Instant Pot's slow cooker functions, buy the inexpensive but necessary Instant Pot slow cooker lid, which keeps everything from getting too waterlogged)

Here, we put together the absolute best Instant Pot recipes to make delicious suppers that the entire family (yes, even the little ones!) will love. If you’re fairly new to cooking with an Instant Pot, prepare to be amazed at just how quickly a complete plate comes together—including your favorite Instant Pot chicken recipes. Now, you can spend your evenings enjoying quality time with your loved ones instead of working away in the kitchen all evening. There’s truly no shortage of excellent Instant Pot ideas that makes cooking easier. So, what are you waiting for? Whip up one of these dishes today for the tastiest weeknight dinner you’ve ever made.

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1

Gingery Slow Cooker Chicken with Cabbage Slaw

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (3)

Supremely tender thighs cooked in a combo of apricot jam, ketchup, soy sauce, and ginger, pair perfectly with a crunchy slaw.

Get the recipe.

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2

Instant Pot Lima Beans

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (5)

Pick up some smoked pork when you get that Easter ham and let your pressure cooker churn out these tender, flavorful beans.

Get the recipe for Instant Pot Lima Beans.

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3

Slow Cooker Chili with Grains and Beans

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (7)

Packed with toothsome wheat berries, hearty beans and kicky poblano peppers, this chili is so flavorful you may not notice it's missing the meat. Let it burble away in the pot all day until you're ready to eat.

Get the recipe.

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4

Slow Cooker Cowboy Brisket

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (9)

Every country home needs something simmering in the kitchen, so fire up this versatile big-batch recipe.

Get the recipe.

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6

Chicken and Quinoa Minestrone

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (13)

You'll love this healthy update on classic chicken and rice soup.

Get the recipe.

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7

Indian-Spiced Chicken and Cauliflower

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (15)

This dish will bring the spice to your usual chicken and veggies.

Get the recipe.

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8

Instant Pot Honey Teriyaki Chicken

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (17)

Master the art of mixing sweet and savory with this honey teriyaki chicken recipe. Crushed pepper flakes and minced garlic amp up the flavor without overpowering the honey.

Get the recipe at Creme de la Crumb.

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9

Instant-Pot New Orleans Red Beans

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (19)

This NOLA staple dish is creamy, hearty, and delicious. With the help of a pressure cooker, it's also weeknight-friendly.

Get the recipe at Chef Kenneth Temple.

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10

Mexican Tortilla Soup

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (21)

Sharp Cheddar cheese meets creamy avocado slices in this classic soup recipe, which comes together easily in any Instant Pot. Don't forget the tortilla chips!

Get the recipe at Chelsea's Messy Apron.

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11

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken With Mushrooms

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (23)

Classic comfort food, here we come! This flavorful dish features mushrooms, fresh herbs, and lightly breaded chicken.

Get the recipe at Dinner at the Zoo.

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12

Instant Pot Spinach Mac and Cheese

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (25)

You just won't believe how decadently creamy pressure-cooked pasta can be.

Get the recipe at Marisa Moore.

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13

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (27)

No takeout menu? No problem! You can make tikka masala at home—fluffy rice, naan, and all—with this easy recipe.

Get the recipe at Jo Cooks.

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14

Instant Pot Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (29)

Don't overlook the Instant Pot's ability to make simple recipes even simpler. Here, frozen meatballs get a seriously luxe sweet and spicy glaze in just 5 minutes of cooking. Pair with mashed potatoes for a filling weeknight dinner.

Get the recipe at Simply LaKita.

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15

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (31)

Vegetarians, rejoice! This dish is both comforting and healthy.

Get the recipe at Damn Delicious.

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16

Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Curry

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (33)

This Carribean-style curry packs a good bit of heat and a ton of flavor. It's rich and creamy enough that you might not even notice it's vegan!

Get the recipe at That Girl Cooks Healthy.

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17

Instant Pot Chicken Wings

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (35)

Ten out of ten hostesses agree: The best, most stress-free game day dishes are made in an Instant Pot. Whip up these mouthwatering wings in half the time using yours.

Get the recipe at Veronika's Kitchen.

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18

Instant Pot Carrot Soup

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (37)

Those colors! That creamy texture! It's safe to say we're in love.

Get the recipe at Plated Cravings.

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19

Instant Pot Coq au Vin Recipe

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (39)

There are few things more beloved or classic than coq au vin, but most would be too intimidated to attempt it. Here, the entire cooking process is shortened to just 30 minutes.

Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

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20

Instant Pot Chipotle Chili

When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (41)

Two different kinds of chili powder make this dish intensely flavorful. A dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of crushed tortilla chips seal the deal.

Get the recipe at My Food Story.

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When You Need Dinner to Practically Make Itself, Try These Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What foods should not be cooked in an Instant Pot? ›

6 Things You Should Never Cook in an Instant Pot
  1. Creamy Sauces. If there's one food group you should avoid in the Instant Pot, it's dairy. ...
  2. Fried Chicken. The best fried chicken is crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside and perfectly golden brown. ...
  3. Cookies. ...
  4. Burgers. ...
  5. Pie. ...
  6. Steak.

What is best cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

They are great with stews, soups, and beans, and if they're good with beans, they should be good with lentils, although lentils and spit peas cook pretty fast on their own. And they are good with rice. Almost anything that can be cooked in a normal pot can be cooked in a pressure cooker.

What shouldn't you put in a pressure cooker? ›

Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks. These foods are not Instant-Pot-friendly for a multitude of reasons. And while Instant Pots are a useful tool when baking cheesecake, custard, or mousse, it's definitely not the best method for other types of desserts.

What is the Instant Pot equivalent cooking times? ›

3. Try this Instant Pot cheat sheet.
StovetopPressure CookerSlow Cooker (on High Heat)
1 hour or more30 to 45 minutes4 to 6 hours
30 to 45 minutes10 to 15 minutes2 to 3 hours
20 to 30 minutes5 to 10 minutes2 hours
15 minutes or under0 minutesNA
Jun 16, 2023

Why potatoes should not be cooked in pressure cooker? ›

Mostly we boil potatoes in a pressure cooker, but like rice, potatoes also contain a lot of starch. This is the reason why boiling or cooking in this pressure cooker is not considered good for health. If you still plan to use cooker for the same, add a lot of water and wash them thoroughly post cooking.

What is the best cut of beef for pressure cooker? ›

Chuck roast, brisket and short ribs are the best cut because they contain a lot of connective tissue. During both slow & pressure cooking, that connective tissue breaks down and turns into gelatin giving the beef a rich, meaty flavour and a tender, juicy texture.

What tastes better slow cooker or pressure cooker? ›

Both appliances produce deep flavors.

Slow cookers utilize long cooking times to develop these richer flavors, while pressure cookers use high heat and pressure to impart as much flavor as possible in a shorter time.

Can I put frozen meat in pressure cooker? ›

It is safe to cook frozen food in a pressure cooker because it uses pressure to move food through the "Danger Zone" quickly. As a result, you don't run into the issues that you would find by cooking frozen food in a slow cooker, where it can stay too long in the Danger Zone and could become unsafe.

Why is pressure cooking unhealthy? ›

Pressure cooking can reduce heat-sensitive nutrients (e.g., vitamin C, folate) and bioactive phytonutrients, such as betacarotene, glucosinolates (helpful compounds found in cruciferous vegetables) and omega-3 fatty acids, that are beneficial for human health.

Did Instapot fail? ›

Given Instant Pot's popularity, it was surprising to some when last week Instant Brands, the maker of Instant Pot — as well as other household brands including CorningWare, Snapware and Pyrex — announced that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which is frequently referred to as a "reorganization" bankruptcy.

Can bacteria survive a pressure cooker? ›

The pressure cookers used can inactivate up to 1010 CFU/mL bacteria and 107 CFU/mL fungi.

What do you cook in a pressure cooker for beginners? ›

Robin Shreeves joins Laurel Randolph in compiling this list.
  1. Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock. ...
  2. Instant Pot Easy-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs. ...
  3. Instant Pot Chicken. ...
  4. Instant Pot Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon. ...
  5. Pressure Cooker Shredded Chicken Taco Meat. ...
  6. Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto. ...
  7. Fast, No-Soak Instant Pot Beans. ...
  8. Instant Pot Rice.

Do professional chefs use pressure cookers? ›

They are most commonly used in industrial settings to quickly prepare meat or stocks. However, in most scenarios, Elite Chefs avoid using pressure cookers because they provide less control over the final dish. Chefs often prefer slow cooking techniques that accentuate and pull out the flavors of the food.

Can you cook everything in a pressure cooker? ›

You can use a pressure cooker to brown, boil, steam, poach, steam roast, braise, stew, or roast food. Nowadays, you can even bake in your pressure cooker! Many people who are using electric pressure cookers like Instant Pot Pressure Cooker are even making cheesecakes and homemade yogurt.

Why do chefs use pressure cookers? ›

In a pressure cooker, you put the food in and something that takes hours and hours, like short ribs, can cook in just 45 minutes or an hour. Instead of simmering chicken stock on the stove for hours, you can make it in about an hour. As a Personal Chef, speed is of the essence and I use my pressure cookers a lot.

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